Battling Fort Ord land use ballot measures getting big contributions

Monterey Downs, the proposed horse-track development at the center of the battle between Measures K and M, has pumped almost $150,000 into the Measure K campaign during the past month, according to campaign finance reports.

The Measure M campaign has a major, single source of campaign cash. Carmel Valley retiree Nancy Burnett, a co-founder of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has made two separate contributions of $50,000 each this month to the open-space measure.

A $100,000 contribution last week to the Measure K campaign from Monterey Downs came a few days before final pre-election campaign finance reports are due. The deadline is Thursday for the Nov. 5 election. Monterey Downs put $49,000 into the Measure K campaign on Sept. 27, campaign filings said.

Previous campaign finance reports, which covered the period from July 1 to Sept. 21, indicated the Measure K and M campaigns would easily hit six-figure ranges before the dust settles.

Measure M, which was put on the ballot by open-space advocates, would preserve most of about 540 acres of Fort Ord land as open space, including the proposed Monterey Downs site. It would allow limited development.

Measure K, which was put on the ballot by a coalition of business and veterans groups in a petition drive largely underwritten by Monterey Downs, would allow the proposed horse-track-mixed-use development, or a similar project, in the Parker Flats area of Fort Ord.

In its first report, the Measure K campaign reported contributions of $21,433 as of Sept. 21 and expenditures of $101,742, including payments to three campaign consultants.

The Measure M campaign reported contributions of $143,821 through Sept. 21 and expenses of $59,284.

Subsequent contribution filings show both campaigns have been raking in money as Election Day nears.

The Measure K campaign took in more than $200,000 since the end of September, bringing its total contributions since Jan. 1 to about $224,000.

The Measure M campaign received about $110,000 this month, bringing total contributions for the year to about $254,000.

While Monterey Downs and Burnett have been the biggest contributors by far, others are opening their wallets for the competing measures.

Measure K picked up $2,500 from The Don Chapin Co. and $5,000 from consultant David Bouquillon. Measure M received $5,000 from retiree Brigette Wasserman and $1,500 from retiree David W. Gryska.